Shelton Aldermen urge legislature to vote no on tolls

By Michael P. Mayko

Updated
3:01 pm EDT, Thursday, March 28, 2019

John Anglace, the Shelton Board of Alderman president, said his board will pass a resolution demanding no tolls tonight and pass it onto the state legislature. Behind Anglace is State Rep. Ben McGorty (left).

John Anglace, the Shelton Board of Alderman president, said his board will pass a resolution demanding no tolls tonight and pass it onto the state legislature. Behind Anglace is State Rep. Ben McGorty (left).

John Anglace, the Shelton Board of Alderman president, said his board will pass a resolution demanding no tolls tonight and pass it onto the state legislature. Behind Anglace is State Rep. Ben McGorty (left).

John Anglace, the Shelton Board of Alderman president, said his board will pass a resolution demanding no tolls tonight and pass it onto the state legislature. Behind Anglace is State Rep. Ben McGorty (left).

SHELTON-The city’s Board of Aldermen is expected to pass a resolution tonight demanding the state legislature vote no on tolls since they believe it, along with increased taxes and fees, will drive more residents out of the state.

The city’s eight aldermen, all of whom are Republicans, will begin meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

“We are saying that the concept of introducing tolls into Connecticut once again, combined with the proposals to increase taxes and fees as well as impose new ones is insane,” said John Anglace, the longtime Aldermanic president. “They also want to extend the bonding 30 years out. That’s only going to cost taxpayers more money.”

Once approved Anglace said the resolution will be sent to Gov. Ned Lamont and the state legislature with the hope that both parties rethink methods of paying for transportation infrastructure.

State Reps. Jason Perillo and Ben McGorty and State Sen. Kevin Kelly, who represent Shelton are all Republicans and are all opposed to tolls.

“I don’t understand what purpose this resolution will serve,” said Dave Gioiello, chairman of the city’s Democratic town committee. “Our roads are in terrible shape. Tolls have been around since the beginning of this country when private owners charged to cross their bridges.”

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Gioiello said the current gas tax is not bringing in sufficient funds to fix the roads.

Anglace claims one of the problems with Lamont’s proposal is the lack of details in the $100 billion transportation infrastructure plan and its schedule.

The resolution reads “this “pie in the sky” valuation, if approved, would require that the revenue from tolls (expected to be $1 billion annually) would have to be supplemented with a plethora of other taxes; such as an increased gasoline tax, an increase in the sales tax, an increase in the number of items subject to the sales tax, an increase in the petroleum Gross Receipts tax, an increase in motor vehicle license fees, an increase in rail, bus and parking fees, and an increase in the state income tax, and by shifting unfunded mandates onto the backs of CT municipalities.”

It claims with tolls and these increases it still “won’t be enough to sustain a $100 billion spending spree” and “the state will have to still borrow billions of dollars to pay for the infrastructure.”

Anglace said city residents fear drivers will clog Shelton streets by attempting to avoid tolls and as a result residents residents “have pleaded for our assistance against tolls.”